Orthopedic insoles for use in open footwear

ABSTRACT

An orthopedic shoe insole is provided. The orthopedic shoe insole includes a top layer, a molded plastic layer positioned below the top layer, a cork layer positioned below the molded plastic layer, and a sidewall layer, wherein the sidewall layer is wrapped around at least the molded plastic layer and the cork layer, and wherein the top layer and the sidewall layer have a finished surface, causing the orthopedic shoe insole to have an overall finished surface.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/861,737 filed Jun. 14, 2019. The disclosures of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE EMBODIMENTS

This invention relates to orthopedic insoles and, in particular, to orthopedic insoles having cork and plastic components and being configured for use with open shoes

BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Due to any of a multitude of medical issues, standard shoe insoles that come in shoes may cause discomfort or pain or may not adequately treat already existing discomfort or pain. As a result, many individuals require or desire the use of orthopedic insoles in their footwear to ease or remove the discomfort or pain experienced when walking.

Typical orthopedic insoles, however, do not sit flush with footwear and are clearly visible as being separate and apart from the original footwear. This makes wearing orthopedic insoles with open footwear extremely noticeable and difficult.

For at least these reasons, orthopedic footwear that can stylishly be used with open footwear and can also effectively relieve and/or prevent foot pain is needed.

Examples of related art are described below:

U.S. Pat. No. 9,974,353 generally describes a convertible shoe that consists of a top portion having a stylized upper, a footbed, and an underside with bottom side attachment, an insert with top side attachment and a bottom side attachment; and a bottom portion having a top side attachment and a tread on the bottom. The top side attachment of the bottom portion and insert are identical, and the bottom side attachment of the top portion and insert are identical. The bottom side attachment is sized and configured to correspond to, and attach to, the top side attachment, such that the top portion can attach directly to the bottom portion to create a low-heeled shoe, or attach to the insert which is attached to the bottom portion to create a high-heeled shoe.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0010861 generally describes an orthotic device that is designed to be reused and reapplied in open shoes and includes an adhesive layer which securely, but temporarily, bonds the insole to a shoe. In some embodiments, the insole both supports and cushions a foot. In other embodiments, the insole solely cushions the foot. The supporting insoles include an arch support and a heel lift. The cushioning insoles include a flat sole pad, a contoured sole pad, a ball of foot pad and a heel spur pad. In some embodiments, a textile covering is included over the insole.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0210605 generally describes a foot support for use with a human foot having a forefoot portion that supports the foot beneath the metatarsal heads and an arched midfoot portion that supports the foot beneath the metatarsal, cuneiforms, navicular, and cuboid bones and has a slope between a maximum height on the medial side of the foot support and a minimum height on the lateral side of the foot support. The foot support also includes a wedge fixed beneath the forefoot portion such that the maximum wedge height is positioned beneath the first metatarsal head and the minimum wedge height extends beneath the fourth metatarsal head. The foot support may optionally include a heel portion that supports the calcaneus and talus bones in a neutral, varus, or valgus positions.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0318819 generally describes a fabric-covered fluid-filled therapeutic foot orthotic with thong-cut device system comprising: a top substrate having fabric covering: a bottom substrate having fabric covering; a high viscosity fluid-filled arch supporting, massaging and comforting-medium; a series of dot welds placed distally of the metatarsal arch; a series of dot welds on a longitudinal arc through the medial arch; a longitudinal swatch weld towards the lateral mid-foot for directional flow and restriction of fluid towards the lateral mid foot; a rearwardly-placed half-moon shaped indentation; a front bladder seal seam; a heel dot weld; and a single forwardly-orientated indented trim line. The design permits the orthotic to be positioned into closed in shoes for transferring further towards the front of the thong cut sandal to provide a ‘correct fit’ without losing any effectiveness of the arch support or therapeutic value while eliminating all unnecessary trim lines.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0196086 generally describes a shoe in which an orthopedic adjustment has been integrated into the construction of the shoe itself. The invention entails adjusting one or more of the soles or other construction features of the shoe itself in order to accommodate a medical condition or treatment regimen. In particular, in instances of abnormalities in the knee joint, there is a need to redistribute the weight of the body from an afflicted symptomatic medial compartment of the knee to an un-afflicted and asymptomatic, or lesser effected and less symptomatic compartment so as to relieve the pain and stress at the most afflicted and most symptomatic compartment. Benefits are also achieved by reducing a common ankle injury, and by improving lateral cutting, cornering, and push off maneuvers. The present invention achieves all this by laterally wedging the sole of a shoe, where the angle is chosen to counter and redistribute the weight of the body accordingly thereby changing the axial load on the knee and ankle joints.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0181493 generally describes an interchangeable footwear device. The device may include a flip-flop sandal design wherein the device may include interchangeable structural features to allow a user to change features as associated with a particular terrain. The interchangeable footwear device includes a gripping system to traverse a number of different terrains. The footwear may include a sole member having a thong member attached to a top of the sole and a heel strap selectively attached to the sole. The heel strap may be selectively attached to the sole with a fastener that may be manually adjusted in a secured or unsecured position to remove the heel strap from the sole. In particular, the interchangeable footwear device may include a gripping unit selectively attached to the sole member of the footwear. The gripping unit may include a toe grip pad and a heel grip pad.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0295884 generally describes a footwear system for orthotic support comprising an insole region to which is affixed one or more detachable, repositionable receptacles that accommodate orthotic and/or foot support inserts, and optionally an additional heel receptacle. The footwear system may be usable to provide foot support in closed or open footwear.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0103721 generally describes a convertible shoe with interchangeable sole which consists of an upper to hold the foot and an interchangeable outsole. There is an attachment surface on the underside of the upper and an attachment surface on the topside of the outsole, and the two attachment surfaces are paired and configured to securely attach the two components while also being detachable to allow for the interchange of different outsoles having different tread surfaces. The attachment surfaces are a non-flat contoured shape. There are two protruding ridges on one surface, one substantially under the toe and the other under the heel and part of the arch. These mate with a recessed channel on the other surface. There is also attachment material on both surfaces that are mated and provide a secure attachment.

None of the art described above addresses all of the issues that the present invention does.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

According to an aspect of the present invention, an orthopedic shoe insole is provided. The orthopedic shoe insole includes a top layer, a molded plastic layer positioned below the top layer, a cork layer positioned below the molded plastic layer, and a sidewall layer, wherein the sidewall layer is wrapped around at least the molded plastic layer and the cork layer, and wherein the top layer and the sidewall layer have a finished surface, causing the orthopedic shoe insole to have an overall finished surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the orthopedic shoe insole further includes a bottom layer positioned below the cork layer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the bottom layer includes silicone.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the bottom layer has a thickness of 1 mm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the orthopedic shoe insole further includes an adhesive layer positioned below the bottom layer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the adhesive layer includes a double-sided adhesive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the adhesive layer covers a heel portion of the bottom layer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the molded plastic layer is a thermoplastic polyurethane layer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the molded plastic layer tapers along an outer rim of the orthopedic shoe insole.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the molded plastic layer has a maximum thickness of 2 mm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the top layer includes leather or faux leather.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the top layer is a perforated layer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the cork layer tapers along a toe area of the orthopedic shoe insole.

It is an object of the present invention to provide the orthopedic shoe insole, wherein the sidewall layer includes leather.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a left side view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a right side view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a rear view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9-10 show material visualizations of an orthopedic shoe insole, according to embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals.

Reference will now be made in detail to each embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-8, a perspective view (FIG. 1), top view (FIG. 2), bottom view (FIG. 3), left side view (FIG. 4), right side view (FIG. 5), front view (FIG. 6), rear view (FIG. 7), and exploded view (FIG. 8) of an orthopedic shoe insole 100 are illustratively depicted, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 is configured to provide support to the user, reducing and/or removing pain and/or aiding in posture and/or providing support to treat one or more of a number of foot related medical issues such as, e.g., plantar fasciitis. According to an embodiment, the shape of the orthopedic shoe insole 100 is configured to fit in most flat sandals. It may be small enough to be discreet but molded for support. According to an embodiment, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 comes in various sizes, for left and/or right feet. According to an embodiment, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 is customized to form to a specific user's foot.

As shown in FIG. 8, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 includes a plurality of materials. According to an embodiment, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 includes a finished top layer 105 and/or a finished sidewall layer 120. According to an embodiment, the finished top layer 105 and finished sidewall layer 120 are configured such that the orthopedic shoe insole 100 has a finished appearance and/or are configured to blend in with the footwear with which the orthopedic shoe insole 100 is intended to be used. According to an embodiment, the top layer 105 and/or the sidewall layer 120 include leather, faux leather, and/or any other suitable material or materials. According to an embodiment, the top layer 105 is perforated. According to an embodiment, the top layer 105 and the sidewall layer 120 are separate components. According to an embodiment, the top layer 105 and the sidewall layer 120 are a singular component. According to an embodiment, the top layer 105 may encompass the entire insole 100.

The finished appearance of the orthopedic shoe insole 100 due to the top layer 105 and the sidewall layer 120 enable the shoe to be used with open footwear, such as sandals, while still giving the footwear a finished look, as opposed to the look of other forms of orthopedic shoe insoles, which typically only have fabric or plastic exteriors.

According to an embodiment, below the top layer 105 is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) molded layer 110. According to an embodiment, the TPU layer 110 is thicker in the center of the orthopedic shoe insole 100 and tapers thin around the edges of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. According to an embodiment, the thickest portion of the TPU layer 110 is approximately 2 mm. It is noted, however, that any suitable thickness may be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. According to an embodiment, other types of hardenable material in addition to TPU or instead of TPU may also be used for layer 110, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, below the TPU molded layer 110 is a cork layer 115. According to an embodiment, the cork layer 115 is molded into shape. According to an embodiment, the cork layer 115 tapers in the toe region of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. The TPU molding layer 110 and the cork layer 115 provide support, structure, and absorption for the user of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. According to an embodiment, the sidewall layer 120 wraps around the TPU layer 110 and the cork layer 115.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the insole 100 may solely have a TPU layer 110, may solely have a cork layer 115, and/or may have both a TPU layer 110 and a cork layer 115. According to various embodiments, the order of the TPU layer 110 and the cork layer 115 may be reversible.

According to an embodiment, a bottom layer 125 is located below the cork layer 115. According to an embodiment, the bottom layer 125 is relatively flat and covers the entire bottom surface area of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. According to an embodiment, the bottom layer is printed, although it is noted that any suitable method for forming the bottom layer 125 may be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention. According to an embodiment, the bottom layer 125 includes silicone. It is noted, however, that any suitable material or materials may be used in the formation of the bottom layer 125, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention.

Sectional views of the layers of an embodiment of the orthopedic shoe insole 100 can further be seen in the material visualizations shown in FIGS. 9-10.

According to an embodiment, the orthopedic shoe insole 100 may include an adhesive layer 130 on the underside of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. According to an embodiment, the adhesive layer 130 may cover all or a portion of the bottom layer 125 of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. According to an embodiment, the adhesive layer 130 covers a heel portion of the orthopedic shoe insole 100. The adhesive layer 130 is configured to secure the orthopedic shoe insole 100 to the footwear with which the orthopedic shoe insole 100 is intended for use. For open footwear, the adhesive layer 130 prevents the orthopedic shoe insole 100 from falling out of place or falling off of the open footwear. According to an embodiment, the adhesive layer 130 may be a double-sided adhesive layer. It is noted, however, that any suitable form of adhesive layer 130 may be used, while maintaining the spirit of the present invention.

When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. Similarly, the adjective “another,” when used to introduce an element, is intended to mean one or more elements. The terms “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An orthopedic shoe insole, comprising: a top layer; a molded plastic layer positioned below the top layer; a cork layer positioned below the molded plastic layer; and a sidewall layer, wherein the sidewall layer is wrapped around at least the molded plastic layer and the cork layer, and wherein the top layer and the sidewall layer have a finished surface, causing the orthopedic shoe insole to have an overall finished surface.
 2. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a bottom layer positioned below the cork layer.
 3. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 2, wherein the bottom layer includes silicone.
 4. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 2, wherein the bottom layer has a thickness of 1 mm.
 5. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 2, further comprising an adhesive layer positioned below the bottom layer.
 6. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 5, wherein the adhesive layer includes a double-sided adhesive.
 7. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 5, wherein the adhesive layer covers a heel portion of the bottom layer.
 8. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the molded plastic layer is a thermoplastic polyurethane layer.
 9. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the molded plastic layer tapers along an outer rim of the orthopedic shoe insole.
 10. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the molded plastic layer has a maximum thickness of 2 mm.
 11. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the top layer includes leather.
 12. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the top layer is a perforated layer.
 13. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the cork layer tapers along a toe area of the orthopedic shoe insole.
 14. The orthopedic shoe insole as recited in claim 1, wherein the sidewall layer includes leather. 